Avon Hit With $52.1M Verdict for Asbestos-Contaminated Talc

A California jury awarded $52.1 million to an Arizona woman diagnosed with mesothelioma cancer. The multimillion-dollar verdict combines damages against cosmetics giant Avon and a forklift manufacturer. Attorneys for Rita-Ann Chapman said she had been using Avon talc products contaminated with asbestos for much of her life. Chapman is 76. She blamed additional secondhand asbestos exposure on forklift maker Hyster Company. Her husband Gary handled asbestos products while working at Hyster. Chapman won her case in California Superior Court earlier this month. Mesothelioma is a rare cancer. Inhalation or ingestion of asbestos fibers is the primary cause of the incurable condition. Although occupational exposure once dominated asbestos litigation, the field is widely expanding today with the recent discovery of asbestos-contaminated talc products. Chapman’s combined award is a look at the future and past of asbestos litigation. Avon Kept Asbestos Contamination Secret Avon, famous for its door-to-door saleswomen known as “Avon Ladies,” sold a variety of cosmetics, including body and face powders. Jurors concluded Avon management knew of the talc contamination but failed to warn consumers of the serious health risks, and deliberately kept them secret. Actual damages were listed at $40.8 million, with an additional $11.3 million in punitive damages. Jurors blamed Avon for 90% of Chapman’s cancer. According to court records, Avon faced almost 200 t...
Source: Asbestos and Mesothelioma News - Category: Environmental Health Authors: Tags: Asbestos Exposure Legal Mesothelioma Source Type: news